<p>Got a pamphlet in the mail from QuestBridge. It sounds legit. But is it even relevant anymore, financial aid-wise, since a lot of the partner schools have decided to charge no tuition to low income students anyway?</p>
<p>What exactly is QuestBridge? How do you benefit from it? How do colleges view it?</p>
<p>It's ana amazing program that you should definitely look into. However, if your eyes are 100% set on only 1 school it would probably be better to just apply there early instead.</p>
<p>it definitely is worth it because if you win one of their summer prep thing, they'll give you so much advice on how to put together your college apps later. I got the counselor part and my counselor was very informative and helped gave me ideas on what to write for my essays</p>
<p>Now that we are receiving FA packages for D's schools she wishes she had at least applied for Questbridge. Believe me, for the time it takes if it works out for you it is worth it. You really don't have much to lose at all.</p>
<p>Hi, I'm a current high school senior who applied to the QuestBridge College Match Program last fall.</p>
<p>Let's just say, I killed myself first semester. Figuratively, of course.</p>
<p>The College Match Program, itself, is highly praiseworthy for the goal that it accomplishes--giving full-ride scholarships to some of the nation's most prestigious universities to deserving students.</p>
<p>However, the application process is extremely tedious.
I began the application late, in early September, and the QuestBridge application was due at the end of September.
Hence, I rushed rushed rushed to finish on time.
In addition to the application I needed to complete, I needed to answer three long essay questions and some 10-20 questions about myself.
Tedious enough as it is, the application also asks for two teacher recommendations and a counselor report.
Without a doubt, these will be the first letters of recs that your teachers complete for that school year, if you should decide to do QuestBridge.</p>
<p>Anyways, after killing myself in September, I waited until the end of October and found out that I was a QB finalist!
Hooray? Not just yet.
In addition to some of the liberal arts colleges, which don't require any supplemental information, I also applied to Columbia University, Princeton University, and Yale University, all of which require QB finalists to submit THEIR own application by November 4, which essentially was in FIVE DAYS after the announcement of finalists.
I had not been expecting to advance to finalist standing, and hence did not begin my Columbia, Princeton, and Yale applications until a few days before the announcement of Finalists (just in case, you know?). Well, after learning that I was a finalist, I killed myself again to meet the November 4 deadline for Columbia, Princeton, and Yale. I finished the applications to these top-tier colleges in the time that a normal student would spend just THINKING of what to write. On top of this, I wrote TWELVE essays altogether during this short period of time. Needless to say, I was BURNED OUT.</p>
<p>I wasn't the only one who suffered.
My mother frantically filled out the CSS Profile and made eight copies of her 2006 Tax Returns to mail and fax to the eight colleges that I applied to through QuestBridge.</p>
<p>To make a long story medium-length, I did not get matched. I did, however, receive EA acceptance to one of the schools. Looking back at my first semester of senior year, I would definitely NOT want to go through that again. Of course, I became an expert at filling out applications (I could major in this if I wanted to, haha), but in the end, I would NOT recommend QuestBridge to seniors.</p>
<p>ONLY do QuestBridge if...
(1) You start your QuestBridge application in August, the DAY that it is made available online. Finish your essays and whatnot BEFORE school begins. During the first week of school, give your teacher recommendations and counselor report to your teacher/counselor and have them mail it out ASAP.
(2) If you're applying to any of the schools that require their OWN application for finalists, you MUST begin those applications IMMEDIATELY after finishing your QuestBridge application. Don't be like me and do nothing while waiting for the QuestBridge finalist notification. Rather, use that time to write the twelve-or-so essays that you need to write by the Finalist deadline. Trust me on this.</p>
<p>If not, what I would recommend INSTEAD of QuestBridge is, during the countless number of hours you would spend on this application, use that time wisely and instead, focus on your OTHER applications to the schools you want to attend. By the time I was done with the QuestBridge and Columbia, Princeton, and Yale applications (remember, I killed myself twice), I was too exhausted and burned out mentally and physically to give 100% in my TOP CHOICE college's application and essays. Hence... because the chances of getting matched are extremely SLIM, I would advise you to not waste your time on QuestBridge, but rather, allot that time to PERFECTING your application to the schools that you want to attend. If one of the QuestBridge schools is a school you want to attend, still, the chances of you getting matched are extremely slim (sorry to be pessimistic, but that's reality). As a result, the chances of you getting accepted Early Action, Early Decision, or Regular Decision are FAR greater than you getting matched. Thus, USE YOUR TIME WISELY!!!!!</p>
<p>Oh, man idno, that sounds so familiar. I just found out about this School Year Abroad program, and not only was my application in on the deadline, but I had to get my mom to fill out the CSS and tax forms in one day. She had to mail the financial aid forms overnight, increasing the total postage cost even more.</p>
<p>My application to the Questbridge Yale Summer School is done, but I keep putting off Yale's Summer School application (Yeah, they need both for the Summer School too) because my account never seems to activate.</p>
<p>Idno: I agree with you about the amount of work QB entails but I have to disagree with you about it being a 'waste of time'. Your scenerio sounds exactly like that of my sons. He found out about QB at the last minuet and it nearly killed him AND ME to complete it. He never thought he would make it to finalist status so of course he did not get on the ball (as QB suggests) gathering taxes, doing essays, etc... When that 'finalist' email came in: Wow!! I was truely out of breath in the end, not to mention my heart aching as I watched my son working endless hours on essays and supplements. The stress he endured was almost unbearable to watch. That being said, I still think Questbridge is an amazing opportunity. I applaud the outreach efforts of the Quest founders and alumni for bringing such a program to high acheiving students that because of certain obstacles in their lives, would otherwise never see the insides of an Ivy league school. My son and one of his best friends were the only two from his school to do Questbridge and his friend was matched with Columbia. Full ride w/ benefits. Believe me, we were estactic for him! I've never seen a more deserving child. This in itself was 'worth it' to us. Idno, the process is not yet over and when decision day finally does come, you may be pleasantly surprised to find out QB will come thru for you also. We can only hope. Untill then, good luck!!</p>
<p>I say, if you're able to do it then do it. If only to be a finalist, then do it. it'll look great on your application as many schools are looking for low income students.</p>
<p>QuestBridge will give you lots of connections, in terms of letting you know about colleges. For example, I applied for the Summer Prep my junior year and even though I didn't get it, I received so much information from interested colleges and I was able to visit them, like Amherst, Swarthmore, and Williams.</p>
<p>But yeah, I agree with "idno" that the time constraints are really killer, especially after you're notified of finalist status and your applications to the "Match" Schools (Yale, Stanford, Princeton) are not even started yet because you probably would not have even applied in the first place, if not for the QB fee waiver. </p>
<p>And then those stacks of tax papers and CSS Profiles? Seriously, QB is supposed to help the financially-disadvantaged and we're supposed to pop out $16 for each Profile and then spend those excruciating hours licking those stamps to send out to the 8 colleges we wanted to match with? </p>
<p>I did not get matched; in the end, I still applied to the 8 schools but I had to resend my tax forms in again because QB wanted 2006 tax forms, and now the colleges want 2007. It's maddening.</p>
<p>Yes, do QuestBridge - it's a great program. Start early and don't burn yourself over those deadlines. (They really ought to change that...)</p>
<p>Questbridge is an authentic and wonderful program. That said it
may not suit everyone even if your projected EFC is quite low.</p>
<p>the usual reasons it may not work out:
- colleges on the QB list are not your top choices
- your score pre-september is not good enough and youw ill ahve to retake
- you are unsure what your top college is</p>
<p>if none of the above are constraints and QB indeed covers your
top choices- WoW go for it!</p>
<p>Keep in mind that even without QB you can get very good aid if
your need profile is eligibile for making it into QB at the top 10
colleges on USNR</p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>Definitely worth it. It's a lot of work but it's relative. QB applicants get a tip in the admission pools of many of its member schools. If you know about it soon enough there is plenty of time to get your information together. You can apply up to 8 schools and free apps are a good thing, not to mention some schools offer free trips to visit. It was a lot of work but not as much work as trying to come up with the 40-50 g's that it cost to attend these schools. Many of those that don't make finalist still get handsome FA packages. Spend less time on facebook and reality tv and you"ll have the time to get these particular apps and essays in order. What's more difficult, a few hours gathering info and brainstorming for essays or having a Sallie Mae coupon book large enough to last you till middle age?</p>
<p>^^ As Amhersts Dean of Admissions said: "The moment you are identified as a QuestBridge applicant, you are prioritized in a way that very few applicants are. When you're a QuestBridge student, you're in a priority bin. They've got a leg up in a way that perhaps an athlete or legacy would have a way up."</p>
<p>Lol, if what that Dean said is true, I'll be admitted to at least 10 out of the 12 schools i applied to.....I hope he proves himself correct :D</p>
<p>Sheed, if I recall your profile, pretty impressive. Your profile was comperable if not better than DS. He's already been accepted to 3 great schools and one FA package that was awesome. Let's just say finances won't be a deterrent. You will do well. We are awaiting the news from the QB schools he applied to. I'm very much interested to see how it plays out for you and a few others I've followed in these various forums.</p>
<p>WOW, thank you very much madville! I'm also interested on how things play out for me :D</p>
<p>Oh crap I just missed the deadline and I didn't even realize it. -_-</p>
<p>I'd say only apply to questbridge if you're:
1) VERY sure about which colleges you want to attend, and how you'd rank them.
2) Able and willing to put a lot of time and effort into the application process in the summer or early fall.
and
3) Pretty sure that you're not going to get any new essay inspiration or do any exciting things that might change your essay ideas between the Questbridge deadline and January 1.</p>
<p>For me, Questbridge could have been amazing - but the main reason why I didn't apply was because I was entirely unwilling to 1) Rush through the app process (I found out pretty late in the game), and 2) Decide definitively which colleges I wanted to go to.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that if you work hard, are a good student, do something worthwhile with your life that you're passionate about, and pursue your opportunities, you may well not even need Questbridge. My situation right now:
- Accepted into Princeton, Harvard, and Yale. (Their financial aid makes Questbridge superfluous) Also accepted into Georgetown, plus some other schools who have offered fantastic finaid and where I think I would be happy, but are just trumped by the four mentioned above^.
- Recipient of multiple scholarships, including Horatio Alger and Gates Millennium, which will hopefully allow me to keep Georgetown on the table as an option.</p>
<p>At the beginning of this year, I thought I knew what I wanted: a small, cozy, rural or suburban liberal arts college with great academics. I now want a mid-sized, "power" university with a great PoliSci education and great connections to be made, in/near a city. And now * I * get to choose which college I really want to go to - * after * I visit, attend classes, etc. at Princeton, Harvard, Yale, and Georgetown this month.</p>
<p>Just my perspective :)</p>
<p>Now that it's all over, I would strongly urge only 'high achieving' URM's(especially hispanic, american indian and african american) with good stories/obstacles to use Questbridge. After all, that is what the schools are paying $50,000 or more for hoping to be connected to these students. If you are not in this category, I believe you have a better chance of getting in on your own.</p>
<p>yes, take it from someone who is asian and got either waitlister or rejected by ALL questbridge schools (and accepted into all non QB schools except for harvard), just do the apps on your own. if paying for it is a problem, as the schools for help, get a job to pay for it, or seriously just suck it up and pay</p>
<p>Google2008, 15.7% of the 204 "Match Recipients" this year were Asian. How is that not fair? I think that is 3x the Asian population for the U.S. (Wikepedia puts 2006 stats as 4.4% of population as Asian.)</p>